G3551 — νόμος (nomos)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G3551
Original: νόμος
Transliteration: nómos
Pronunciation: nom'-os
Part of Speech: Masculine noun (n-m)
Root: νέμω (nemō) — to parcel out, distribute
Occurrences: 194 in NT
First Occurrence: Matt 5:17 — "Think not that I am come to destroy the law (nomos), or the prophets"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From a primary νέμω (nemō), to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals; law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), generally (regulation), specifically (of Moses, including the volume); also of the Gospel, or figuratively (a principle).

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain 33.33: Law, Regulation, Ordinance (under 33 Communication)
Domain 33.05: Written Language
Other words in 33.33: νομικός (nomikos), νομοδιδάσκαλος (nomodidaskalos), νομοθεσία (nomothesia), νομοθετέω (nomotheteo), νομοθέτης (nomothetes), δόγμα (dogma), ἔννομος (ennomos)

UBS Semantic Domains¶

Code	Domain Label	Notes
033	Communication	`search_relationships.py` places nomos in the communication field as authoritative instruction, decree, and codified teaching.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
law	95	56.2%
the law	49	29.0%
of the law	14	8.3%
a law	2	1.2%
to the law	2	1.2%
laws	2	1.2%
Other phrases	5	3.0%

Almost exclusively rendered "law" — variation is only in accompanying English articles/prepositions.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Romans	74	17.1
Galatians	32	21.5
Acts	17	1.7
John	15	1.7
Hebrews	14	4.6
James	10	9.3
Luke	9	0.8
1 Corinthians	9	2.1
Matthew	8	0.7
Philippians	3	2.9
1 Timothy	2	1.8
Ephesians	1	0.6

Heavily concentrated in Paul's letters on justification (Romans 38%, Galatians 16%). Absent from Mark, 2 Corinthians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Pastoral Epistles (except 1 Timothy), General Epistles (except James), and Revelation.

Semantic Categories¶

1. The Mosaic Law / Torah¶

The commandments and statutes given through Moses at Sinai. The dominant usage. - Matt 5:17 — "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." - John 1:17 — "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." - Gal 3:24 — "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." - Rom 7:12 — "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good."

2. The OT Scriptures Broadly¶

"The law" as a division of Scripture (the Pentateuch) or the entire OT, sometimes citing Psalms or Prophets. - Luke 24:44 — "all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms" - John 10:34 — "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?" (quoting Psalm 82:6) - John 12:34 — "We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever" (no single Torah source) - John 15:25 — "the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause" (quoting Psalm 35:19/69:4)

3. A Principle or Operative Rule¶

Metaphorical use — an operating principle or force, not a legal code. - Rom 3:27 — "By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith." - Rom 7:23 — "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind" - Rom 8:2 — "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death"

4. The Law of Christ / Royal Law / Law of Liberty¶

An ethical standard for believers, distinct from Mosaic code. - Gal 6:2 — "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." - James 1:25 — "whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein" - James 2:8 — "If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself"

5. Natural / Moral Law¶

A moral awareness accessible apart from the Mosaic revelation. - Rom 2:14 — "the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves" - Rom 2:15 — "Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts"

6. Law of Commandments / Ordinances¶

Specific ceremonial or regulatory requirements, especially in contrast to the new covenant. - Eph 2:15 — "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances" - Heb 7:16 — "not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life" - Heb 10:1 — "the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
θεός (theos)	G2316	26x	"the law of God" (Rom 7:22, 25; 8:7)
ἁμαρτία (hamartia)	G266	15x	"law and sin" / "law of sin" (Rom 7:23; 8:2)
πίστις (pistis)	G4102	15x	"law of faith" / law vs. faith contrast (Rom 3:27-28; Gal 3:2, 11)
ἄνθρωπος (anthropos)	G444	14x	humans subject to law (Rom 2:12; 7:1)
Χριστός (Christos)	G5547	11x	"law of Christ" / Christ's relation to law (Gal 6:2; Rom 10:4)

Word Family / Cognates (νομ- root)¶

G3544 νομικός (nomikos) — pertaining to law; as noun: lawyer, expert in the law (9x)
G3545 νομίμως (nomimōs) — lawfully, legitimately (2x)
G3547 νομοδιδάσκαλος (nomodidaskalos) — teacher of the law (3x)
G3548 νομοθεσία (nomothesia) — legislation, giving of the law (1x)
G3549 νομοθετέω (nomotheteō) — to legislate, enact law (2x)
G3550 νομοθέτης (nomothetēs) — lawgiver (1x)
G459 ἄνομος (anomos) — lawless, without law (10x)
G460 ἀνόμως (anomōs) — lawlessly, without the law (2x)
G3891 παρανομέω (paranomeō) — to transgress the law (1x)

Synonyms¶

search_relationships.py surfaced functional overlaps within the legal-command field: - G1785 ἐντολή (entolē) — commandment; a specific command within the broader framework of law - G3142 μαρτύριον (martyrion) — testimony; covenantal witness language closely tied to authoritative legal witness - G1345 δικαίωμα (dikaiōma) — ordinance, righteous requirement - G2917 κρίμα (krima) — judgment, judicial decision

Antonyms¶

G459 ἄνομος (anomos) — lawless, without law; an alpha-privative formation built directly from nomos and thus the clearest lexical opposite returned by search_relationships.py

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
ἔξεστι (exesti)	G1832	"lawful" (27x)	Permission/legality, not the Torah; "is it lawful?" = "is it permitted?"
ἐντολή (entolē)	G1785	both refer to divine commands	entolē = specific commandment/precept; nomos = the whole legal corpus
δόγμα (dogma)	G1378	both translated "ordinance"	dogma = decree/edict (human or divine); nomos = the law system
ἔννομος (ennomos)	G1772	"lawful" / "under law" (2x)	Adjective: subject to law, within legal bounds

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Frequency	Notes
תּוֹרָה (torah)	H8451	188x (PMI 6.45)	Primary — instruction, law, Torah
חֹק (choq)	H2706	17x (PMI 3.79)	Statute, enactment
חֻקָּה (chuqqah)	H2708	15x (PMI 3.91)	Statute (feminine form)
מִצְוָה (mitsvah)	H4687	18x (PMI 3.35)	Commandment
מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat)	H4941	23x (PMI 2.53)	Judgment, ordinance
דָּת (dath)	H1881	6x (PMI 4.82)	Royal edict, decree

The LXX overwhelmingly renders תּוֹרָה (torah) as νόμος, making this the primary OT→NT continuity. However, nomos in the LXX also absorbed חֹק, חֻקָּה, מִצְוָה, and מִשְׁפָּט — distinct Hebrew concepts (statute, commandment, judgment) collapsed into a single Greek term.